With a Chance of Heartbreak
by RedSoxGal4Life
Summary: Confused about Chad, Sonny stumbles upon James once again. Will Chad still be able to win her heart? Or will James stand in the way? Rated T to be safe.
1. Letting Go

***** Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Sonny With A Chance. *****

"Fine!"

"FINE!!"

"_GOOD!!!_"

"_**GOOD!!!!**_"

Sonny slammed the door to her dressing room shut, infuriated by Chad's obnoxious behavior. She stomped around the empty room, trying to forget the pointless argument she was once again dragged into. They had been working in the same studio for almost seven months now, and still Chad and Sonny could not make peace between them.

"He's so immature," Sonny told herself. She could not even remember how their fight had started, though it didn't really matter. It always ended the same way: both of them yelling, trying to get the last word in. She was tired, and irritated that Chad was able to make her so upset.

She slumped down in her chair, finally claming down. She was fed up with Chad, and his hot and cold attitude towards her. If he really cared about her, he should just spit it out rather than forcing Sonny onto an emotional roller coaster. Her mind refocused, and she was able to think more clearly. She sat silently, thinking back to all of the aggravating times they had shared.

"I'm done with Chad," she declared into the mirror, "and he's done messing with me."

"What about Chad?" Tawni asked as she waltzed into the dressing room. She eyed Sonny curiously, telling that she was upset. "Lemme guess," she ventured. "The usual 3:00 quarrel?"

"More like the last one," Sonny said, finally standing up and pulling herself together. "I'm not talking to that jerk anymore."

She knew how Tawni would react, and so rather than waiting for her answer, she opened the beige wooden door and walked out of the room.

"Hey Sonny," a voice spoke from the hallway. Sonny spun around, thinking Chad had come back for round 2. There, leaning against the off-white wall, was James Conroy. "How have you been?"

Sonny couldn't believe her eyes. After their scene with Tawni and Chad, she had thought he would be gone for good. "What are you doing back at the studio?"

"My character's a regular on Mackenzie Falls now. I robbed another bank," He laughed and gave her a slight wink, "and I realized I never got to thank you for teaching me that lesson a while ago." He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving Sonny's face.

Sonny was flabbergasted. "Thank me? You're not furious with me?"

He chuckled, and took another step closer. "Actually quite the opposite. I was wondering if maybe you would consider giving me a second chance and coming out with me tonight? What do ya say?"

Sonny looked into his eyes, searching for the player she knew before. She was unsure she would be able to trust James again, and she began to open her mouth to say no.

Suddenly Chad came around the corner. Seeing them together, he stopped dead in his tracks. "What are you guys doing?" His voice was cool and emotionless, not that Sonny would expect anything more from him.

Her face grew hot, with anger, she assumed, so she turned back to James quickly. "Pick me up at 8," Sonny smiled. She pecked him quickly on the cheek and strode away from the pair. She quickly reached the end of the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Sonny never looked back, but if she had, she would have seen two boys: one smug and confident, the other shocked and heartbroken.


	2. Holding On

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

"James?! Sonny?! Date?! Again?!" Chad paced around his dressing room, confused and annoyed. "Didn't we suffer enough last time? How could she fall for him again?" He reached into his McKenzie Falls jacket and pulled out the red rose he had been hiding in the hallway. He tore the small flower apart, accidentally cutting his hands. He threw the small shreds of flower into the garbage, and continued his frustrated rampage.

He and Sonny had always fought. That's how they were. But somehow, he had felt particularly bad about their last rift. So, he had planned to apologize to Sonny and try to fix their relationship.

Not that they had one.

However, James had gotten to her first, once again. And Sonny was going to go out with him, once again. Chad thought back to the last time at Arcadia, where he went to "hang out with his bro". Sonny and Tawni had gone to play air hockey, and he had to watch as James drooled over Tawni. It was then Chad realized how much of a jerk James really was. Sonny found out soon after, of course, (astronauts on the moon could tell) but apparently breaking her heart once wasn't enough for him.

Not that he cared.

"_We_ were a more believable couple than they were!" Chad stewed. His favorite blog entry ran through his mind, where he described Sonny's "passionate kiss" they had shared, though he knew it wasn't real.

Not that he wanted it to be.

Chad knew where this date would go. Sonny did too, but she wouldn't admit it. And Tawni wouldn't be there to help her this time. No, she would be all alone.

Unless…

"Perhaps it's time to hang out with my bro again…" he said with a sly smile.


	3. Second Chances

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

James held the large glass door to Arcadia open for Sonny, and she strode into the game room with a huge smile on her face. Perhaps James really had changed.

"Care for an air hockey rematch?" James challenged.

"Loser still buys burgers?" Sonny asked.

"Like old times," James beamed.

If it wasn't for Sonny's flawless air hockey record, she would have thought James was actually letting her win. Therefore, instead of finding the game sweet and chivalrous, she found it annoying and clumsy. Chad would never think of being chivalrous; he was much too famous for that.

Sonny cursed herself for thinking of Chad and refocused on the pathetic game of air hockey.

BEEEEEP!!!!! The goal buzzer sounds once again, finally letting the pair leave. 7-0. A perfect game at any other time besides a date.

"You're as good as I remembered," James laughed. "How about we go eat?"

Sonny nodded and they started their way towards the tables. James put his arm around her, a warm smile spreading across his face. His arm felt nice, but not like when Chad put his arm around her. Something felt awkward. Distant.

"So," James said, breaking the silence, "what have you been up to since I've been gone?"

"Well, the other day I was walking to the-"

"Sorry I'm late, AGAIN. Geez, history seems to be repeating itself a lot lately. Don't you think? Anyway, what did I miss?"

"Dude, are you seriously doing this again? I really like Sonny, and I would like to actually have some time alone with her."

"Really?" Sonny smiled her best artificial smile. She felt completely awkward over what James had just said, but it seemed to make Chad angry, so why not keep up the charade.

"Really," James replied with his deep, serious voice.

"Wow," Sonny could here the honesty in his voice. Chad would never be able to talk to her like that. "Hey, I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick. Don't get any less adorable while I'm gone!" she winked and left the boys alone in the booth.

"So, uh, things seem to be working out for you and Sonny this time, eh?" Chad said carefully, struggling to hide the emotions fighting to burst out of him.

"She's great, but if it doesn't work out, I've got others. You know what I mean?"

"I'm sorry, do you mean other girlfriends?!" So much for keeping it cool. Anyone could hear the stress behind his voice. Another girl besides Sonny? Chad could not even imagine it.

"Yeah, dude. I've got three more dates lined up tonight. Speaking of which, Sonny better get back here quick. Girl number two is up in ten minutes."

"Does Sonny know about this?"

"Of course not. I'm a changed man this time, remember? Anyway, let's just keep this between us, ok?"

Chad just nodded in silence, still shocked from the news. Not that he expected anything different from a jerk like James.

"Ready to go?" Sonny floated back to the table, looking more beautiful than before, if that was possible.

"Only if you are. I'm in no rush," James gave a knowing wink towards Chad and stood up from the table.

"Oh James, you are so sweet," Sonny smiled, taking his hand in hers. She told herself she was moving on, and this was definitely a good way to start. Their eyes were locked on each other, staring as if there was no one else in the room.

Including Chad.

He sat silently in the booth, watching the couple look at each other with lust in their eyes. James was a better actor than Chad gave him credit for. Sonny wasn't acting though, he noted sadly.

"Before we go…" James said, cradling Sonny's face in his hands. He slowly moved his face closer, his eyes never leaving her face.

Chad couldn't watch this. He had to do something. His eyes scanned the table, looking for something that could help him.

"Soda!" he whispered as he grabbed the full glass next to him. "Whoops!" he exclaimed as he spilled the drink across the table, right onto James's dark black jeans.

Chad sighed with relief as James turned away from Sonny to see what had happened.

"Why don't you just get out of here, Chad," James snarled angrily. Chad took the hint and got up from the table.

See you Sonny," Chad grinned, proud of his work.

"Bye Ch-" Sonny was cut short by James's lips crushing onto her face.


	4. Cards and Flowers

***Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance***

_**3 months later**_

"**More flowers?" Tawni asked, already sure of the answer.**

"**Yeah," Sonny sighed, staring at the beautiful bouquet of red roses.**

"**But he already sent the tulips this morning."**

"**Yeah," Sonny sighed again. She didn't mention the logic James had put behind the tulips: two-lips. He was a big fan of kissing, she had discovered in the past few months. But she didn't mind. She really liked having James as her boyfriend.**

"**What does the card say?" Tawni asked curiously. James always included a card, filled with "I love you"s and "see you soon"s.**

**Sonny grabbed the card from the basket. "It says, 'You grow more beautiful every day. If only I could show you how much I care about you. Meet me on the roof after your show. Love, your Mackenzie Falls admirer." That's strange. James usually just signed his name. He was probably just trying to be creative.**

"**That's so sweet!" Tawni said, snatching the note. "Why didn't he send it to ME!!!!"**

"**We obviously have chemistry." Sonny said with a smile. "Anyway, we'd better go. We don't want to be late for the show!" **


	5. Rooftop Rendezvous

***Disclaimer: I do not own Sony With a Chance***

"**Wow, that was a great show," Sonny laughed, walking back into the dressing room with Tawni.**

"**The audience can never get enough of me!" she agreed.**

"**I'm going to go meet James," Sonny said, shoving her phone in her back pocket.**

"**And I care…why?"**

"**Right. Anyway, see you later."**

*** * ***

"**James?" Sonny called from the rooftop. She had circled the roof twice and had not seen him anywhere. "James?!"**

**Sonny was tired from her long day of filming, and she had no patience for James's tardiness. It was James that had suggested this time in the first place, and he was still late.**

"**Looking for someone?" a voice called to her. She was relieved James had remembered their plans, since he had a tendency to forget and stand her up. But Sonny understood he was busy, and she never yelled at him for it. She turned towards the door to the roof, expecting to see her adorable boyfriend smiling his perfect smile. **

**Instead, it was Chad.**

"**Chad, what are you doing here?" Sonny asked, even more annoyed than before.**

"**I just had to get some peace from the Falls. Lots of drama." He had used that line so many times before, Sonny just ignored his failed attempt at humor. "What are you doing?"**

"**Waiting for James. He sent me some flowers this morning and told me to meet him up here. I guess he's late. Again."**

"**Flowers? Really, Sonny? Really? Quite a manly man you have there." Chad snorted, but stopped as his eyes fell onto Sonny's beautiful annoyed face. She was so cute when she was agitated. Stupid, stupid cute.**

"**Yes, he is." She smiled. "And, unlike SOME people, he is actually sweet and kind towards others. Not that you would know anything about that."**

**Chad laughed. He could think of ten different comebacks, but he didn't want to start another fight. He stared at Sonny, not knowing what to say. "You know Sonny, your hair looks really pretty out here. I really like it."**

"**Thanks, Chad. Your eyes look especially sparkly today. Wait, did you just compliment me?"**

"**Did **_**you**_** just compliment **_**me**_**?"**

"**Maybe."**

"**Fine."**

"**FINE!"**

"_**GOOD!!**_**"**

"**GOOD!!!**"

Sonny stormed away, angry at Chad and upset that James had stood her up. But her anger faded quickly, because Chad really was trying to be nice. She stopped at the doorway to the roof, and turned around to face him. "Chad?"

"_**FINE!!!!**_"

"No, Chad. I just wanted to say thanks. You _are_ really sweet."

"Don't spread it around," he winked, and gave his famous Mackenzie Falls smile.

Sonny laughed too. They smiled at each other, and after a while they just stared, looking silently into each others eyes. Sonny never laughed with James. He was a more serious guy. "Anyway," she said softy, not wanting to break the moment, " I'd better go find James."

Chad looked down at his shoes, trying to hide the disappointment in his eyes. "James…right…sure…"

"…see you later…" She turned around and sprinted down the stairs.

"I hope," Chad whispered to his feet.


	6. Reactions

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

"How was James?" Tawni asked, filing her nails carefully.

"He didn't show," Sonny said, still a little confused from the weird conversation with Chad.

"Too bad."

"Yeah," Sonny sighed. "Too bad."

* * *

Chad floated into his dressing room, thrilled by the scene he had experienced on the roof. He could tell she cared about him, and he was certain he cared about her. The only problem now was James.

He knew it was wrong to send Sonny flowers that she thought were from James. However, he never technically _said_ that the flowers were from James. So, let Sonny think what she wanted. Chad didn't mind stepping in for James's "tardiness". If all of the cards he sends end up like they did on the roof, he would spend every dime he had on flowers.

"Why not keep this going a little longer?" Chad grinned as he picked up the phone to call the florist.


	7. Exposed

***Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance***

"**What do they say this time?" Tawni asked, irritated by how frequent the flower deliveries had become. Almost every other hour a tall man in a baseball cap would knock on the door of their dressing room with another red rose bouquet. Their room was filled with plants, and not one of them was for her.**

"**Let me check," Sonny replied. James had apologized for forgetting their rendezvous on the roof, and she forgave him, of course. As strange as her relationship with Chad was, she completely forgot about it when she was around James. She didn't have much choice, as her brain suffered from a lack of oxygen with James plastered onto her face. She used to ask him to just sit down and talk, but they never really found much to say to each other. Eventually, she just gave up. "It says, 'I'm sorry we haven't been able to see each other in a while. Let's meet up at Arcadia tonight. Be prepared for a surprise!' Ooh! I wonder what it is! I have to get ready!"**

**30 minutes later**

**Sonny walked into Arcadia, ready to find out what her special surprise was. They usually met by the DDR machine (for old time's sake), but Sonny didn't see James. She decided that he was just running late and began her first song by herself.**

**Just as Sonny was finishing her perfect game, she suddenly felt a large thump on the back of her head. She turned around, looking for where the strike had come from.**

**It was then she saw James's perfectly groomed hair, marching casually into the room. She saw him begin to look around, and she assumed he didn't see her tucked away in the corner. She started to wave to him, but stopped immediately.**

**Sonny watched as James greeted a thin blonde girl, first with a hug, then with a VERY friendly kiss on the lips. She couldn't believe her eyes. James - her James - was kissing a random girl, not ten feet in front of her! She stood perfectly still, her body frozen in shock. Sonny watched as James sat down at a booth - their booth - and continued the greeting he had begun earlier. The girl didn't seem to mind at all, and Sonny was certain that she did not know about her either.**

**Sonny stood for a few more minutes and watched the scene grow worse and worse. Finally, she couldn't see anymore and started her way towards the door. When she reached the doorway, she turned back once more to look at the disturbing couple. Her heart wept; James had not even noticed she had walked by.**

**Enraged, Sonny stormed over to the Mushy machine and filled a giant cup with the icy syrup. She then marched over to James, and, coughing loudly, poured the drink over his head.**

"**What the-" James looked up, finally noticing Sonny. "Sonny! What are you doing-"**

"**Oh, I just came by to say: We're done. Have a great time on your date."**

**Sonny ran out of the arcade and began her long walk home. She didn't even make it past the first block before bursting into tears.**


	8. Consoling

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

Sonny dragged herself into her dressing room, her eyes red and tired from a long, painful night. She eyed herself in the mirror; she was a mess. Her hair was crazy and untamed, since she had not even borrowed to comb it. Mascara streaked across her heartbroken face. She attempted to pull herself together, but every five minutes a new wave of hurt would hit, and she would burst into tears once more. Exhausted from her lack of sleep, Sonny slumped into her chair and stared at her reflection.

Soon after Sonny arrived, Tawni strolled into the room, smiling her brilliant smile. She noticed Sonny sitting in the corner, and, after a quick makeup check in her mirror, walked over to her. "How was your date?" she asked, trying to sound concerned.

Sonny responded with a fit of tears and she covered her face with a throw pillow. She scrunched her body into a fetal position and tried to concentrate on breathing.

"Oh. Sounds like a blast." She put her hand on Sonny's shoulder, but felt extremely awkward, and pulled it away. Tawni Hart did not comfort others. Not well, anyway. She figured James had broken Sonny's heart once again, and to be honest she wasn't surprised. However, she was working on trying to be more sensitive, and she figured that Sonny would want some time alone. "I already look perfect, so why don't I just head over to the prop house now. You can just chill here for a while. Have some quiet."

Sonny nodded and sniffled into her pillow. She waited until she heard the door close before raising her head. Her face was bright red, and her pillow was almost soaked through with tears. She was happy that Tawni had left her alone; she didn't want anyone to see her like this.

Her mind kept flashing back to those few moments at the arcade, where James's arms reached for someone other than her. Then, when she was finally able to get herself out the door, he had not even cared enough to follow her.

"Knock, knock! Who's ready to talk about me?" Sonny turned to the door and saw Chad waltzing into the room. She quickly flung her head back into her pillow, ashamed of her appearance.

"Go away, Chad."

"What's going on?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Why do you care?"

"I never said I did."

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

"What? Did your lover boy forget a date again?" Chad sat on the armrest of Sonny's chair, trying to get her to show her face. "Come on, Sonny. What's up?"

Sonny pried her head from the pillow at looked at Chad. "I w-went to Arcadia to m-meet James, a-and I s-saw him with s-someone else." More tears came, and she went back to the pillow.

Chad sighed. He knew this day would come, and he had prepared himself for weeks in front of the mirror. However, now that he sat alone with Sonny, and he watched her cry her beautiful eyes out, all of the things he had practiced seemed cold and insensitive. Unsure of what to do, he sat without a word and folded his hands in his lap.

Time ticked by, and Chad still had no idea what to do. Determined to do something, Chad reached over to Sonny's lap and cradled her hand in his. "Sonny, I know things are rough, but they will get better. I promise."

For the first time in almost thirty minutes, Sonny lifted her head from her pillow and showed her face to Chad. "Why are you being so nice to me? It's not like you should care. This has nothing to do with Chad Dylan Cooper."

Chad saw tears begin to well up in her chocolate brown eyes, and he quickly bowed his head, afraid his eyes would betray him again. He couldn't take seeing Sonny in so much pain. He hated James for hurting her, and he hated himself for allowing it to happen. No matter what Chad did, he knew nothing could make her painful memory go away. But he had to try.

He composed himself slowly, and lifted his head to face the girl he adored. "We're not filming today. So, I'm at your service. Do you want some water? Food? Do you need another tissue?" he grabbed the box off of Sonny's desk and offered it to her.

"My mouth is a little dry," Sonny replied sheepishly.

"I'll be right back."

Chad returned with a tall glass of water, and Sonny drank it down in one huge gulp. She returned the glass to Chad, and moved over to her big, fluffy purple couch. She patted the empty seat next to her and looked up at Chad. "Could you stay a bit longer?" she asked, her face still filled with pain.

"Sure," Chad replied hesitantly, unsure whether or not he could take anymore of her tears. "Hey, do you wanna watch some TV? It might help take your mind off of…things…"

"Ok," Sonny sniffled.

"Let me see," Chad said, flipping through the channels. "We could watch So Random! Or," he stopped short as they watched a familiar bad boy walk onto the screen. Chad switched the screen back to So Random! as quiet tears began to fall down Sonny's face. Chad knew he'd reacted too late.

Without even thinking, he put his arm around her and laid his head on top of hers. Her hair smelled of honey and vanilla.

"Don't worry," he whispered softy into her ear, "we'll get through this together. I promise, we'll get through this together."


	9. Lots of Drama

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

"Feeling better today?" Chad asked, spotting Sonny in the hallway.

"A lot better. Thanks, Chad. For everything." For the first time since the scene with James, Sonny smiled.

Chad's heart melted. He fought the urge to run up and take Sonny into his arms as he longed to do every time she was near. But he held back, like he had every moment since they met. Her hair glittered in the harsh fluorescent light, shining like a million shooting stars. He stopped himself, trying to keep control. Stupid cute.

"Alrighty then…" Sonny said, feeling awkward with Chad just staring and saying nothing. He turned around and started to walk away. "Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Could you give me a ride home today? I usually had…J-James…" Sonny felt herself growing upset, but found shelter in Chad's sparkling ocean blue eyes.

"Fine. Whatever. See you later." Chad rushed by Sonny and avoided making eye contact.

_What was that about? _Sonny asked herself.

* * *

Chad felt bad about the incident with Sonny, but he had the feeling Sonny wasn't hoping for the same type of drive he was. As much as he loved being her shoulder to cry on, he didn't want to be thought of as her girlfriend for the rest of their lives.

Or, for that matter, her sloppy seconds.

Chad had begun to accept the fact that Sonny would never want him the way he wanted her to. As much as he knew he would never care for someone as much as he cared for her, he had realized that it was perhaps best to just let her go. His heart screamed to keep her close, but his head knew it could never be.

Conflicted and confused, Chad walked onto the Mackenzie Falls set, ready to forget all of the drama.

* * *

Chad walked down the hallway towards Sonny's dressing room. The day had been a complete waste, since James hadn't even showed up for filming. It was odd; James had never missed a day at the studio.

As Chad got closer to Sonny's room, he began to hear screaming voices coming from the other side of her door. Chad rushed to the door, but found it locked. The screaming continued, progressively getting louder and louder.

"Stop James! Just Stop!"

"Sonny's in trouble?!" Chad had to do something, sloppy seconds or not. Taking a deep breath, he backed away from the wall and gave to door a giant kick. With a satisfying crack, the door flung open, revealing a crying, terrified girl and an angry, red faced boy, both staring at the busted door.

James quickly turned around, grabbing Sonny by the wrists. "Sonny, I love you. Please stop this. Come back to me." He then moved his hands to her waist and pulled her closer.

Sonny shoved him in the chest, fighting to pull away. But James was strong, and he pressed her body against his.

"James, stop! Let go of me!"

"That's not what you want," James smiled an evil smile. He grabbed her face and began kissing her aggressively.

Chad was so shocked by what he saw, he hadn't moved an inch. However, upon seeing Sonny fighting to get free, he sprang into action.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Chad growled, marching across the room towards the pair. He wound his fist back and, with a slight snarl, punched James square in the jaw.

James fell back, releasing a traumatized Sonny as he crashed into her desk. He quickly recovered, and tried to retaliate with a swing of his own.

But Chad was too fast for him. Chad ducked quickly, avoiding the strike. He then bounced right back up and hit James again. This time he fell down hard, taking Tawni's bright pink vanity chair with him. He stood up slowly, visibly embarrassed and ashamed.

"You will not come near her. Ever. Again. Because if you don't, nothing, not even your Mackenzie Falls career, will be safe. Now get out." Chad shoved him out the broken door, slamming it behind him.

Chad looked over to Sonny, whose expression mirrored his: terrified, unbelieving shock.


	10. The End

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny With a Chance*****

A week had gone by, and Sonny had still not seen Chad. Their drive home after the "disagreement" was silent and awkward, and they had parted without even saying goodbye.

She wanted to thank Chad so badly. She knew that if he had not helped her, she could have gotten seriously hurt. James would definitely not come near her again, for which she was eternally grateful.

Chad had been so brave and protective, past any limit that a friend would have. Sonny was honestly shocked, especially after he was so cold to her earlier that day. She would never be able to tell him how much that had hurt her.

Sonny knew it was a bad idea to have let James into her dressing room, but she was thinking that she would be able to hear an apology, and perhaps then be able to move on. Instead, he locked the door behind him and started demanding, not asking, that she come back to him. Sonny was scared, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fight him off. James told her to stay quiet, and that it would get ugly if she called for help. She told him he was being ridiculous, and yelled at him to stop. Of course, he then crossed the room and tried to get closer to Sonny. She ran around the couch, trying to avoid him, but he was much too fast. He grabbed her by the arms and forced her to stop.

As if answering her prayers, Chad then burst through the door. She had never been so happy to see him.

Chad had then conveniently got sick for three days, and suddenly chose to never eat in the cafeteria or take the shortest route to his show, which passed the So Random! set. It was obvious he was avoiding her, but she could not figure out why. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sonny missed seeing her blonde haired hero every morning and lunchtime. She missed Chad more than she had ever missed James in the past.

Sonny was determined to find Chad and say thank you, no matter how long it took.

* * *

"He has to come out here eventually!" Sonny whispered to herself as she paced outside the Mackenzie Falls set. "I know they're filming today. He'll have to come out." She waited patiently and watched the rest of the cast file out of the door. Each of them stopped, glared at her for a moment, and then continued on their way.

Finally, Sonny saw Chad step out into the hallway.

"Chad!" Sonny said, surprising him.

"Sonny!" Chad jumped a little, not expecting to see her. He turned around quickly and rushed back through the door, slamming it behind him.

"Chad, wait!" Sonny followed him through the doorway. He was walking extremely fast, and Sonny had to jog in order to catch up to him. "Chad, slow down! I have to tell you something!"

Chad stopped abruptly, and turned around to face Sonny. He jammed his hands in his pockets and looked her dead in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry I hit your boyfriend. I guess I just thought you were in trouble, and I overreacted. I'd understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore, so you don't have to say it. I'll just stay away."

"My boyfriend? What? What are you talking about?"

Chad looked confused. "You looked so terrified and hurt after I hit him; I figured I had just misunderstood. It's ok, though. His doctor said his bruises would heal in no time. So you can go back to kissing him soon. Don't you worry. I won't bother you anymore."

Sonny laughed, finally understanding. "Chad, I'm not with James. I hate James. And I was terrified of _him_, not you. I came to thank you. No one has ever done anything like that for me before." She smiled a shy smile. "I…I was so afraid he was going to hurt you. If you got hurt because of me I…I don't know how I would live with myself." Chad's sparkling eyes gazed into hers, as if he could see right through to her soul.

"Really, Sonny?" Chad asked, but his voice was soft and sincere. "Really?"

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Sonny's head. She understood why they fought, why she had been so happy that he saved her, and why her heart fluttered every time he was near. "Yeah, Chad. I know we fight a lot, but I really…"

"Really what?"

"I really care about you. More than I should. A lot more. But I know we're just friends, barely friends, so I'm just going to try and stop-"

Chad put his finger to her lips. "Don't you dare stop," he whispered, pulling her to him. He clutched her perfect hair and kissed her lightly on the lips. She remained perfectly still, and he pulled his head back, afraid he had misunderstood.

Sonny threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Don't you dare stop." She laughed and smiled Chad's favorite smile.

"Fine." Chad kissed her again, this time not willing to stop. The kiss grew deeper, and their many months of fighting and hate dissolved into passion. Chad's heart sang; he was certain that he was dreaming.

Finally, they slowly broke apart, both of them desperately needing air. They kept their faces close, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

"Definitely fine," Sonny remarked, kissing him again.

"Most definitely, definitely good," Chad agreed. He was beaming. He could not remember ever feeling so happy.

Sonny giggled, feeling giddy. She kissed Chad's handsome face over and over, unable to get enough of his perfect lips.

Chad hugged her tight; so tight that she lifted off of the ground, and he spun her around in a circle, both of them laughing and smiling and holding the other close.

"You were the one who sent me the roses, weren't you?" Sonny said as Chad returned her to the floor. She smiled her sly, knowing smile.

Chad laughed nervously. "Psh, Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't send flowers…hehehe…psh…"

Sonny hit him playfully on the arm. "I knew it. And you hit me on the back of my head that night at Arcadia! You were stalking me!"

"I prefer spying. It's more protective. I had to make sure I'd be there if you needed me." Chad flashed her his guilty, puppy dog eyes. "Are you mad at me?"

Sonny grinned. "Yes I am. Now you must be punished." She gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Chad laughed, and put on his best mock-serious face. "I have learned my lesson."

Sonny looked into Chad's eyes, and felt like she had found her place in the world. She was home.

Chad gazed back, gently brushing his fingers against her cheek. His heart knew it had found its match.

And there, under the artificial stars of Mackenzie Falls, where so many hearts had been crushed and broken…

There was love.


End file.
